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Newcastle ended a difficult week top of the Championship. It’s been that kind of season at St James’ Park.

United’s healthy lead over Reading in third – and the crop of in-form challengers – is the context to any talk of a wobble at Newcastle. They are still very well placed to make an immediate return to the Championship and, crucially, they should have Dwight Gayle back in time for the trip to Wolves on Saturday evening.

Gayle hasn’t played with Jonjo Shelvey for almost two months – a period in which United have not always had the swagger that accompanied them in the early stages of the campaign. It is probably no coincidence that when they were playing together, Newcastle looked more creative and moved the ball with the pace required to turn around Championship defences.

Gayle was back in training last week and his hamstring problem has nearly cleared up. Benitez will be delighted to name him in his XI at Molineux if he comes through this week unscathed.

For all the comparison with Chris Hughton’s team in 2009/10, few have pointed out that they had very few serious injury or suspension problems. Benitez has – but hopefully have come through the worst of it.

11:30Stuart Jamieson

No doubt!

Newcastle United fans show that they think Rafa Benitez is the ONLY man to control transfers at SJP